Electrical connectors and switching devices have been used for many years in various industries, such as the broadcast industry. The devices are used in electrical equipment systems to provide a transfer of electrical signal to different components of the particular system. The devices typically employ a mechanical-type action, such as a biasing action, in order to connect or disconnect various components of the system.
For example, a common type of connector and switching device or jack employs spring arms that are normally biased to provide electrical communication between two equipment plugs, such as standard BNC plugs, that are engaged in the device, typically on the same end of the device. The spring arms are individually moveable away from the normally biased position such that the equipment plugs can be terminated separately. In particular, a patch plug is often provided for urging a respective spring arm away from the normally biased position such that the patch plug is in electrical communication with one of the equipment plugs, while the remaining equipment plug is terminated through a resistor via the remaining spring arm.
Typically, these conventional jacks perform satisfactorily for standard television signals or for serial digital signals having a maximum bandwidth of about 750 megahertz. More specifically, the signal loss and discontinuity associated with these conventional jacks are not deleterious for most applications because most applications in the broadcast field for which they were designed do not require a high level of performance. However, with the advent of high definition television and other formats where the operating bandwidth is now beyond 2.4 gigahertz, conventional jacks do not provide effective signal carrying capacity as required for these applications. In particular, conventional jacks have excessive return losses at these high bandwidths. Thus, there is a need for an electrical switching jack that provides low discontinuity while minimizing return loss at bandwidths of about 1.5 GHz and higher. The jack, however, must be durable and capable of withstanding the repetitious cycling of the equipment and patch plugs.